Cordless, battery powered tools are well known in the art and are used for a variety of functions such as electric drills, electric screwdrivers, electric jig saws, and the like. In power tools such as electric screwdrivers and electric drills, it is important that the tool or bit to be used by the cordless device be associated with the device for quick access. As used hereafter, the term "tool bit" is intended to mean any type of bit for a battery-powered tool such as drill bits, screwdriver bits, jigsaw blades and the like. In elongated cordless motor-driven electric hand tools such as a screwdriver, it is difficult to store the tool or bit on the device itself since the device is generally cylindrical in shape and has a battery inserted at one end and the bit-receiving device at the other end. In such case, the tool or bit itself, such as a screwdriver having a common screwdriver bit at one end and a phillips or crosspoint screwdriver bit at the other end, is generally stored in a container that is kept separate from the battery-powered tool. Obviously this is a cumbersome situation at best since the powered device must not become separated from the container in which the bit is located. It would be extremely convenient to have a compartment on the battery-powered device or tool itself in which the tool bit could be stored until it is required for use. However, as stated, with the battery pack inserted in one end and the bit-receiving device at the other end and the motor and gear train to drive the bit-receiving end in the center, there is little space left for an enclosure or chamber in which a tool bit can be inserted for storage purposes.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an elongated cordless motor-driven electric hand tool having an elongated body portion with a tool bit-receiving means at one end and a housing at the other end having a battery-receiving chamber therein. An elongated tool bit-receiving chamber is formed in the housing above the battery-receiving chamber and a cover is provided for the tool bit-receiving chamber that is pivotally mounted to the housing for opening and closing the chamber. The cover has an outer shape that conforms to the outer shape of the housing and matches the outer contour of the housing in the closed position.
In the preferred embodiment, to minimize the size of the tool, the housing is oval shaped to create a space above the battery-receiving chamber and the tool bit-receiving chamber is in the space above the battery-receiving chamber. A pivot point is spaced from one end of the chamber cover for the tool bit-receiving chamber such that a force applied to the cover at the one end causes the other end of the cover to move upwardly from the housing to expose the tool bit-receiving chamber and allow a tool bit to be placed therein and removed therefrom. A resilient spring is placed in the tool bit-receiving chamber and coupled to the cover for returning the cover to its closed position when the applied force is removed. The spring is a leaf spring having one end rigidly coupled to the bottom of the tool bit-receiving chamber under the outer end of the cover and the other end flexibly positioned under and in engagement with the inner end of the cover such that when the inner end of the cover has the force applied downwardly, the spring in engagement therewith is deflected and when the applied force is removed the deflected spring returns to its initial position and closes the cover.
The battery-receiving chamber has an unsymmetrical cross-sectional shape with a flat surface adjacent the tool bit-receiving chamber. It also has an arcuate section opposite the flat surface and adjacent an end of the oval shaped housing. A rechargeable battery pack has an unsymmetrical cross-sectional shape that matches the unsymmetrical cross-sectional shape of the battery-receiving chamber for insertion therein from the one end of the housing. Thus, with the flat spot on the battery adjacent the tool bit-receiving chamber, the most effective use is made of the space in the oval shaped housing.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cordless motor-driven electric hand tool having an elongated body portion with a tool bit-receiving means at one end and a housing at the other having a battery-receiving chamber therein. An elongated tool bit storage chamber is formed in the housing on one side above the battery-receiving chamber and has a cover pivotally mounted to the housing for open and closed positions. The cover has an outer shape conforming to the housing shape for matching the outer contour of the housing in the closed position.
It is another object of the present invention to form the housing portion of the battery powered tool with an oval shape to create a space above and/or below the battery-receiving chamber and placing the tool bit storage chamber in the space above and/or below the battery-receiving chamber.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pivot point on the cover of the tool bit storage chamber that is spaced from one end thereof such that a force applied to the cover at the one end causes the other end of the cover to move upwardly from the housing to expose the tool bit storage chamber and allow a tool to be placed therein and removed therefrom.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide a resilient spring coupled to the cover of the tool bit storage chamber for returning the cover to its closed position when the applied force is removed.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a battery chamber with an unsymmetrical cross-sectional shape with a flat surface adjacent the tool bit storage chamber to provide additional space for the tool bit storage chamber. An arcuate section is formed on the battery-receiving chamber opposite the flat surface adjacent to the end of the oval shaped housing. The rechargeable battery pack has an unsymmetrical cross-sectional shape that matches the unsymmetrical cross-sectional shape of the battery-receiving chamber for insertion therein.